This stir-fry has a lovely balance of flavours and textures for a quick, healthy, no -nonsense and tasty supper that all the family are sure to enjoy. Feel free to experiment with different kinds of noodles, such as udon or rice noodles.

1 Heat the rapeseed and sesame oils in a wok or large frying pan. Add the steak and garlic and stir-fry for 3 minutes, until the meat is sealed. Add the mushrooms and carrots and cook for a further 5 minutes.

2 Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the egg noodles and cook for 3 minutes, or according to the packet instructions, then drain and add to the beef and vegetable mixture in the wok, tossing to combine.

3 Add the chicken stock to the beef and noodle mixture along with the soy, oyster and sweet chilli sauces and allow to heat through. Divide among warmed bowls and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds to serve.

Stir-frying is a traditional Chinese cooking technique that is actually incredibly easy to master once you follow some basic rules. First, purchase a wok if you don't have one. Always prepare and measure out all the ingredients before you even think about star ting to cook. I normally star t with garlic, spring onions and ginger, often referred to as the 'holy trinity’ of Chinese cooking. Add vegetables according to how long they take to cook, star ting with the harder ones. As a rough guide, use a ratio of three portions of vegetables to one portion of meat or poultry. Finally, and most impor tantly, once you star t cooking, don’t be tempted to add more oil to the wok. If it becomes too dry, sprinkle over a little water, stock or wine. This should evaporate immediately but prevent the food from drying out.

1 Place the soy sauce, sesame oil and sherry in a bowl, then stir in the cornflour until smooth. Cut the chicken fillets against the grain into small, thin strips and add to the marinade, stirring to combine. Cover with cling film and set aside for 10 minutes, or up to 24 hours is fine. 2 Heat a wok until it’s very hot, then add the oil and heat until it’s almost smoking. Remove the chicken from the marinade with a slotted spoon and stir-fry in the wok for a few minutes to seal the meat. Transfer to a sieve or colander to drain off all the excess oil, leaving only 1 tablespoon behind in the wok. 3 Add the spring onions, garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 20 seconds, then tip in the onion and stir-fry for another minute. Add the carrots and continue to stir-fry for 2 minutes, until softened, sprinkling over a tablespoon of water if the mixture looks like it’s getting too dry. Add the corn and peppers and stirfry for 1–2 minutes, again adding a little more water if necessary, then add the sugar snap peas and stir-fry for another minute.

4 Stir in the sweet chilli sauce and toss with the vegetables until coated. Return the chicken to the pan and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes, until it’s tender and heated through. 5 Divide the cooked egg noodles between 4 Chinese-style serving bowls and spoon the chicken and vegetables on top.

VARIATIONS Beef and vegetables with back bean sauce Replace the chicken with fillet or sirloin steak that has had all of the fat removed and use black bean sauce instead of sweet chilli sauce. Fragrant pork and vegetables Replace the chicken with pork tenderloin (fillet) or boneless pork chops that have been well trimmed. Replace the sweet chilli sauce with oyster sauce.

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